THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

INTROIT. Adorate Deum. Psalm 97:8,1 .
All ye angels of God, fall down, and worship before him: Sion heard of it, and rejoiced, and the daughters of Judah were glad. Psalm ibid The Lord is King, the earth may be glad thereof: yea, the multitude of the isles may be glad thereof. V. Glory be.

COLLECT. O GOD, who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: grant to us such strength and protection, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations. [Through.]

FIRST LESSON:  1 Kings 8:41-43

41] “Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of thy people Israel, comes from a far country for thy name’s sake [42] (for they shall hear of thy great name, and thy mighty hand, and of thy outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, [43] hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to thee; in order that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name and fear thee, as do thy people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.

PSALM 117

[1] Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!

[2] For great is his steadfast love toward us; and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever. Praise the LORD!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost

As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. AMEN

EPISTLE. Romans 13:1-7 1 BRETHREN: Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

GRADUAL. Ps 102. The heathen shall fear thy Name, O Lord: and all the kings of the earth thy majesty. V. When the Lord shall build up Sion: and when his glory shall appear. Alleluia, alleluia. V. Ps 97 The Lord is King, the earth may be glad thereof: yea the multitude of the isles may be glad thereof. Alleluia.

GOSPEL. Saint Matthew 8:1-13
1 AT that time: When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

OFFERTORY. Ps 118. The right hand of the Lord hath the pre-eminence, the right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass: I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.